The once ubiquitous Nick Zito has not been as prominent in recent years, but he still has hopes of finding the types of young horses he used to pick out at the sales on a regular basis. To him it was all about finding classic-type horses.
"It's going to be hard," Espinoza said of tackling the Run for the Roses on Whitmore. "But you never know. As long as I have a horse in the race, I always think I can win the Kentucky Derby."
Sassicaia and jockey John Bisono courageously split horses in deep stretch to register a victory in the $150,000 Toboggan Stakes (gr. III) Jan. 30 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Grade III winner Far Right is scheduled to make his 4-year-old debut Jan. 28 at Oaklawn Park in a third-level allowance/optional claiming race for older horses at a mile.
Delightful Joy brought smiles to the faces of her connections in her stakes debut on Saturday, Aug. 22, using a powerful stretch run to score a clear victory in the $100,000 Monmouth Oaks (gr. III) at Monmouth Park.
Glenye Cain Oakford looks at a solid Saratoga select yearling market, an expensive pinhook prospect, and Doc's Leader's legacy in the Hurstland Farm consignment.
Robert LaPenta's March will try to secure a third straight graded stakes win when he starts in the $200,000 Amsterdam Stakes (gr. II) Saturday, Aug. 1 at Saratoga Race Course.
Robert LaPenta's March won a hard-fought battle by a slim nose in the $500,000 Woody Stephens Stakes (gr. II), the first of nine graded stakes on the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) day under card.
Arkansas will be well represented at this year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands as owners Harry Rosenblum and Robert LaPenta will have Southwest Stakes winner Far Right in the Run for the Roses.
Jon Jazdzewski landed Far Right, then a short yearling, for $2,500 from the @Nossab LLC consignment, Darby Dan Farm agent, at the 2013 Keeneland January horses of all ages sale.
Robert LaPenta and Harry Rosenblum's Far Right was focused in his final work for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) April 24 at Churchill Downs, going four furlongs in :49 flat.
Two $150,000 sale stakes run at Louisiana Downs on Louisiana Cup day Aug. 2 were won by 3-year-olds that sold through the Breeders Sales Company at its 2012 yearling sale.
A Malibu Moon three-quarter brother to grade I winner and leading sire Tapit was the breakout horse at Keeneland's April sale of selected 2-year-olds in training April 7, selling for $1 million.
A Malibu Moon three-quarter brother to leading sire Tapit sold for $1 million April 7 at the Keeneland April select sale of 2-year-olds in training.
Eight-year-old warrior Jeranimo became the first horse to win the San Gabriel Stakes (gr. IIT) three times when he cut loose his patented stretch run to score by 1 1/4 lengths Jan. 4 at Santa Anita Park.
Trainer Chad Brown will saddle two promising juveniles in Plueven, a two-time stakes winner in France making his U.S. debut, and impressive first-out winner Request in the Dania Beach Stakes (gr. III) Dec. 21 at Gulfstream.
Cool Coal Man, a grade II-winning son of Mineshaft, will stand the 2014 breeding season at Brent and Crystal Fernung's Journeyman Stud in Ocala, Fla.
Keeneland's September yearling auction in Lexington, Ky., continued to produce strong numbers Sept. 14 as selling moved into Book Two and the open portion of the sale.
Late-running Jeranimo returned to his best form with a perfect setup in the $300,000 Eddie Read Stakes (gr. IT), soaring through the stretch under a confident Rafael Bejarano to win going away on the turf July 20 at Del Mar.
Robert LaPenta's Easter Gift took the $250,000 Mountainview Handicap on dirt while Mr. Amore Stable's Tightend Touchdown scorched the grass in his victory in the $150,000 Pennsylvania Governor's Cup Handicap June 1.
A familiar name appeared on the worktab at Calder Casino & Race Course on May 5: dual grade I-winning millionaire Jackson Bend is back in training.
Juddmonte Farms' homebred Starformer seeks her second straight stakes score at Gulfstream Park March 30, going up against nine others in the $150,000 Orchid Stakes (gr. IIIT) on the undercard of the Florida Derby (gr. I).
Fasig-Tipton's Florida Sale at Palm Meadows Training Center in Boynton Beach, Fla., featured plenty of highlights throughout the one-day auction including double-digit gains in average and median.
A bay colt by Bernardini became the new sale topper at the Fasig-Tipton Florida select sale of 2-year-olds in training when he was bought for $1.6 million by prominent New York owner Robert LaPenta.
Jackson Bend, a multiple grade I winner who was retired from racing in October, will not stand his first season at stud in 2013 after it was determined that he would require more time to recover from a training accident.
Prominent New York horse owner Robert LaPenta has purchased a significant interest in grade I winner Jeranimo from owner B.J. Wright.
Dialed In, last year's Florida Derby (gr. I) winner and Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) favorite, has been retired from racing and will stand at Darby Dan.
Multiple grade I winner Jackson Bend, who raced for Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito and owners Robert LaPenta and Fred Brei of Jacks or Better Farm, has been retired to stand for $5,000 at Journeyman Stud in 2013.
Robert LaPenta's 3-year-old colt Easter Gift proved best in the Sept. 3 Smarty Jones Stakes (gr. III) at Parx Racing when he drew off in the final furlong to win the mile-and-70 yard contest in the slop.
Multiple grade I winner Jackson Bend appeared to be feeling fine Aug. 19 following an eventful morning on the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga Race Course in New York the day before.
Multiple grade I winner Jackson Bend was involved in a mishap the morning of Aug. 18 on the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga Race Course, but appears to have sustained no serious injuries.
Dual grade 1 winner Jackson Bend breezed a half-mile over the Oklahoma training track on the morning of Aug. 16, covering the distance in :49.33 as he preps for the $500,000 Forego (gr. I) Sept. 1.
'The little horse that could,' as Jackson Bend has affectionately come to be known, will start July 20 in the $100,000 James Marvin Stakes (gr. III) at Saratoga Race Course read blog
Defending winner Jackson Bend looks for a repeat July 20 in the $100,000 James Marvin Stakes (gr. III) at Saratoga Race Course. As usual, he'll have to tangle with a giant to get the job done.
Jackson Bend, the longest shot in the field, held off a flying even-money choice Caleb's Posse in the final strides to prevail in the $400,000 Carter Handicap (gr. I) at Aqueduct April 7.
Motor City, a 3-year-old son of Street Sense and winner of last fall's Iroquois Stakes (gr. II), worked five furlongs in 1:01.88 at Palm Meadows Training Center Feb. 23. The bullet at the trip was recorded by Dialed In.
The first reported foal by Robert LaPenta's grade II winner Cool Coal Man is a colt born Jan. 20 in Ocala, Fla.
With a patient John Velazquez guiding him, Jackson Bend opened up his 2012 campaign in style with a sharp victory in the $100,000 Hal's Hope (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park.
Trainer Nick Zito said the inaugural Gulfstream Park Derby Jan. 1 is under consideration for Casual Trick, a son of Bernardini who broke his maiden impressively in his second career start.
Robert LaPenta and Fred Brei's Jackson Bend comes from off the pace to win the seven-furlong Forego Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga in 1:22.08.
Jackson Bend slipped through an opening along the rail at the top of the stretch en route to his first win since October 2009 in the $78,000 James Marvin Stakes on opening day at Saratoga July 22.
Robert LaPenta's Dialed In, winner of this year's Florida Derby (gr. I), will have surgery next week on a chip in his right knee and will be taken out of training for a undetermined period of time.
If Dialed In captures the May 21 Preakness Stakes (gr. I) at Pimlico, his connections will receive the largest payout in Thoroughbred racing history of $6.1 million.
Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom will likely face 13 3-year-old rivals at Pimlico May 21 in the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown.
Florida Derby winner made 4-1 morning line favorite; Uncle Mo (9-2) draws post 18 for May 7 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).
A review of the Florida Derby, the Dream Big Moment with Robert LaPenta, owner of Dialed In, and a look at the three preps for the weekend: Wood Memorial, Illinois Derby, and Santa Anita Derby. Watch Video
MAHUBAH'S CORNER
Same connections, same track, same race, same finish -- just a different horse. Can Florida Derby winner Dialed In improve on Ice Box's 2nd-place finish in the Kentucky Derby?
Robert LaPenta's S.S. Stone again showed his affinity for the main track at Gulfstream Park with an easy victory in the $100,000 Skip Away Stakes (gr. III) April 3.
Relentless Dialed In came from last on a speed-favoring Gulfstream Park main track to get up in the final couple of strides over 68-1 outsider Shackleford by a head in the $1 million Florida Derby (gr. I) April 3.
Robert LaPenta is hoping Dialed In can get him and trainer Nick Zito back to the Kentucky Derby.
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